Quiz - Structure and Reactivity | Structure and Reactivity

When comparing the acidity of different molecules, it is actually easier to compare the stability of their respective bases ⇒ less stable base = strongest base ⇒ strongest base = weakest acid

The more electronegative an atom, the stronger the inductive attracting effect and the more stable the base
Electronegativity: F > Cl > Br > I

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Lone pairs of electrons are stabilized by the s character of orbital. The % of s character is 25% in sp³ hybridization, 33% in sp² and 50% in sp. Therefore, increasing basicity correlates with hybridization as follows: sp < sp² < sp^{3​​​​​​​}

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CH₃CH₂CH₂COH ⇒ aldehyde;   CH₃CH₂CH₂COOH ⇒ carboxylic acid;   CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃ ⇒ ether;   CH₃CH₂COCH₃​​​​​​​ ⇒ ketone

A Lewis base is a substance that donates an electron pair: H₂O has 2 pairs of electrons on oxygen ⇒ it is a Lewis base
A Lewis acid is a substance that accepts an electron pair: BH₃ and AlCl₃ are electron-poor species (boron and aluminium need electrons to follow the octet rule) ⇒ BH₃ and AlCl₃ are Lewis acids

CH₃O⁺H₂ is an electrophile: electron-poor species that can form a covalent bond by accepting an electron pair from a nucleophile. Indeed the oxygen atom is positively charged and therefore poor in electrons

Constitutional isomers:

Chemical species with the same molecular formula but that differ in the way the atoms are connected to each other. They are also called structural isomers